LIST AND DESCRIPTION 81 
Harding County, which is the northwestern corner county of 
the State. 
Length about thirty inches; head and neck bare, with 
red skin; balance of body brownish black, except under wings 
and tail, where it is grayish. 
Their food consists entirely of carrion, so that they are of 
inestimable value as scavengers. 
Farther south they usually nest in hollow logs, but in 
our State they use shelves under overhanging cliffs in the bad- 
lands. Eggs usually two, white, and somewhat larger than that 
of the domestic Chicken. 
One noticeable characteristic in the flight of this bird is 
its ability to sail or soar for hours with very few wing move- 
ments. 
326. Brack VULTURE (Catharista urubu.) 
Sometimes called Carrion Crow. This Vulture is a rare 
straggler during the summer in South Dakota. Although some- 
what shorter than the preceding it is heavier in weight. Head 
and neck bare, with black skin; balance of body black. 
FAMILY BUTEONIDZ. KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES 
327. SWALLOW-TAILED KiTE (Elanoides forficatus.) 
A rare visitor in our State during the summer months. 
Length about twenty-four inches, but the long, forked tail com- 
' prises over half; head, neck and under parts white; back, wings 
and tail bluish black. Their food consists of large insects and 
snakes. 
331. MarsH Hawk (Circus hudsonius.) 
A very common Hawk and well distributed over the 
State. The male is about twenty inches long; above, bluish 
gray, with the ends of the long wings much darker; throat and 
breast ashy gray; belly white; tail usually with seven dark 
bands. Female about twenty-two inches long; above, dark 
brown, sometimes mixed with cinnamon or whitish spots; under 
parts whitish streaked with brown. The young resemble the 
female but are usually darker. A distinguishing mark of the 
Marsh Hawk is its white rump, plainly seen as the bird flies 
